Legacy of Darkness
by Banjodog
Summary: **Second Place Winner for Chibizoo's Fanfiction Contest!!!** Yami confronts the Millennium Puzzle and challenges its authority. Some hints of Y/Y


Legacy of Darkness  
  
Rating: R  
  
Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh and all related characters therein do no belong to me. No copyright infringement is intended.  
  
Summary: Entry for Chibizoo's fanfiction contest. Yami confronts the Puzzle and challenges its authority.  
  
FanFiction.Net username: Banjodog  
  
Email: LadyOneiros@aol.com  
  
Genre: Angst/Psychological  
  
*~*  
  
Pharaoh Yami stood stoically in the center of the stone room, dressed in his funeral finest. The gold adornments sparkled darkly in the light of the torches on the wall, and the shadows danced neatly in the corners. Several cloaked people were scattered around the perimeter, keeping their eyes lowered to the ground and remaining silent. This was the room of his death, and he knew it.   
  
He scanned the area, his gaze lingering on the one person he could clearly see. It was a white-haired man, chained to the wall and missing his right hand. Ah yes, Yami remembered. It was the infamous tomb robber that had been finally caught and brought before him. Yami recalled cutting off his hand--a standard punishment for thieves--and sending him to the prison. He briefly wondered why they had brought him down here, wounded and unconscious with a strange burn mark on his stomach in the shape a of a ring, but he quickly let it go and turned his attention to the stone pedestal before him.  
  
Lying atop it was a black silk pillow which reverantly held the Item. Yami stared at it, letting the world on the edges of his vision blur and fade away. He could feel himself being drawn into a sleepy trance, hypnotized by the way the Item's own inner light seemed to pulse gently.   
  
It was laughing at him.  
  
Yami struggled weakly against it, but he could not fight against the tendrils of invisible supports that began to snake up his shins.   
  
It was drawing him in.  
  
Seducing him.  
  
"Nsw," a deep voice called out, startling Yami out of his daze. He looked up to see a man dressed in a white cloth standing before him, a large golden key hanging around his neck and staring solemnly at him. "S-spd?"  
  
Yami drew himself up to his full height and nodded once.   
  
The man reached forward and cupped his hand over the Puzzle, reciting an incantation that Yami could not understand. The man grimaced as the Item turned a dark red color and began to burn his skin, but he continued the spell.  
  
The invisible supports surrounded Yami, trapping him in a paralyzed stance, but he had no time to think on it when the Item started to glow and a freezing cold wrapped around him. Yami gritted his teeth against the numbing iciness and tried to ignore the way his breath misted in the desert air. It was so cold....and he had begun to lose the feeling in his limbs when the Item flared brilliantly, throwing the other man away from it. Yami screamed as a white hot pain replaced the cold, making every part of him feel like it was on fire.   
  
Yami tried to twist his body against the pain, but the supports held him fast. He could offer himself no comfort, and the other people in the room watched in morbid, if melancholy, fascination.  
  
The Item flared again, earning another scream from Yami. He could feel a great wave building up inside of him, turning his stomach before the wave crashed against his frame and all strength left him.   
  
Supported only by the invisible props, Yami threw his head back in agony as his soul was ripped from his body. It was torn out through every pore in his skin, creating a minute hole just large enough for a small river of blood to follow in a desperate attempt to recatch his spirit. He was bleeding from every inch of his skin, through the base of every hair strand, through his eyes, ears, mouth...from underneath his fingernails and out the vertabrae of his spine. He was bleeding to death even as his soul withdrew. Yami was soon stained completely, a vision in red. Not one part of him was untouched, from his soaked hair to the growing puddle at his feet.   
  
Yami stilled completely, eyes rolling back into his head as his hands slowly unclenched. The Item then seemed to explode, creating a light so blinding that all in the room had to close their eyes against it. It drew Yami's soul into itself and used a power so great that all other souls in the room cried out painfully and caused their mortal bodies to fall unconscious to the ground.  
  
The man in the white cloth was the only one to remain awake, and he staggered to his feet in exhaustion. The Item quieted again, calming itself to its previous, indifferent state. The man stumbled towards the center of the room and, using a single finger, pressed against the king's forehead and pushed him over. The Pharaoh was dead. He turned back to the pedestal and picked up the Item. It still burned and ate at his skin, but he kept his hold on it. He turned it gently, letting the firelight glint off its cracked surface. The man narrowed his eyes in fatigue and summoned the last of his remaining strength to raise the Item high above his head and throw it back to the ground, letting it smash into several, shimmering pieces.   
  
~*~  
  
Yami opened his eyes slowly, their deep color flashing in the unending darkness. He sighed deeply and sat up, keeping his gaze lowered.  
  
"Why do you show me this?" he asked softly.   
  
His only answer was a series of strong, varying vibrations that he felt through his whole body. Yami narrowed his eyes.   
  
"No, I will NOT rest. Now answer my question!"  
  
The vibrations came again before they abruptly stopped. Yami quickly climbed his feet, the world around him lightening to a medium shade of gray. A form began to materialize from the Nothingness around them, and as it settled, Yami found himself staring down into two large, violet eyes.  
  
Yami was so angry he could barely breathe.   
  
"How. Dare. You," he hissed through clenched teeth. The figure frowned, golden bangs falling across its brow.   
  
"What's wrong?" the figure asked. At the sound of that voice, Yami growled savagely.  
  
"You may be the Millennium Puzzle, but I will not forgive such a sin! It is an unthinkable insult--"  
  
The Puzzle tilted its head in confusion, knowing that its shape was a perfect imitation...how could it start such a reaction?  
  
"I thought this form would please you."  
  
Yami snarled and charged forward, all inhibitions about harming such a perfect form removed. He had just made it within three feet of the Puzzle when large chains snapped up from the ground, ensnaring the former Pharaoh.   
  
The Puzzle watched as Yami cried out in shock, the chains dragging him to the ground. Yami struggled against the chains, thrashing violently in an effort to dislodge them. He even went as far as chewing on them, and his skin became raw and red from his efforts.   
  
"YAMI!!!" the Puzzle shouted, and the chains tightened even more so that Yami began to choke. "Calm yourself!"  
  
Just as Yami began to black out, the chains disappeared and he could breathe again. He got to his hands and knees, very well aware of the humiliating position he was in. However, the Puzzle did not comment on it.   
  
"I just wanted to talk to you, Yami."  
  
"I didn't want to talk to you," Yami responded, rubbing at his throat.   
  
The Puzzle looked at him.  
  
"Then what do you want?"   
  
Yami was about to respond when his injuries disappeared and the gray Nothing shifted, swirls of colors and scents overwhelming Yami's senses.   
  
The Nothing turned into a golden, airy room, paper thin curtains billowing in a gentle breeze. It was bright, and Yami could see the sun shining in a deep blue sky just outside of an arch that led to a balcony. Silk sheets and large pillows littered the center of the room, partially covered a mosaic of the sun.   
  
Confused, Yami stood up. It was then that he noticed that he had changed as well. A heavy gold necklace weighed down on his chest, and matching earrings dangled against his shoulders. His dress was that of a kilt made of white linen, and draping down his back was a leopard skin that was attatched underneath the necklace. On his wrists were gold bands, as well as one on his right ankle.   
  
Around the room, there were clear glass bowls filled with water, water lilies growing in each. There were also dishes with slices of pomegranates, nestled in a bed of lettuce leaves.   
  
A faint rustling caught Yami's attention, and he spun to see Yuugi standing there, sheathed in a sleeveless, thin linen wrap. He had gold bracelets on his wrists and ankles. Gold flecks sparkled in his hair. Yami inhaled sharply at the sight, but fought against himself as he noticed the blankness in Yuugi's eyes.   
  
It was still the Puzzle.   
  
The Puzzle approached Yami, its bare feet padding softly on the marble floor. Yami gulped as the Puzzle reached up and wrapped its arms around Yami's neck. It had been successful in its imitation....  
  
"Is this what you want?" the Puzzle asked and gently pushed Yami to the floor, down amongst the pillows. The Puzzle stradled Yami's hips and leaned forward to brush its lips against Yami's own. Yami groaned, unable to resist the feel of what seemed so unaccountably Yuugi. He arched up into the Puzzle, his eyes sliding shut. The skin...the smell...the taste...it was Yuugi. It was so easy to believe...and it was getting harder to fight. The Puzzle obediently opened its mouth, allowing Yami's tongue to begin devouring it. The smell of water lilies and pomegranates, mixed in with Yuugi's distinct honey flavor, threatened to drown Yami. He reached up and pulled the Puzzle closer, convinced that no imitation could be this perfect, and that he held the real thing in his arms. He wanted more, and all rational thoughts began to disappear...  
  
"Hm," the Puzzle said curiously, pulling away from Yami and walking away. Yami's gasped in shock and tried to recover from the loss of body heat and slow the pounding of his heart.   
  
When Yami opened his eyes again, he found that the scenery had changed. The room had become a beach, with soft yellow sand, pale dune grass, and clear blue water. He found himself standing, and still in his Pharaoh attire. The Puzzle--still in the form of Yuugi--had changed its outfit. It was in dark blue jeans and a white t-shirt that had the letters S.P.Q.R emblazoned across the front. It was lying a short ways away on its back in the sand, arms folded underneath its head and knees raised. It was barefoot, allowing the sand to shift between its toes. It was gazing up at the sky, giving no sign that it noticed Yami.   
  
Yami walked over to the Puzzle and looked down at it.   
  
S.P.Q.R  
  
"Senatus Populusque Romanus," the Puzzle stated.   
  
Yami just stared at it.   
  
"It means 'The Senate and the Roman People.' Interesting motto, don't you think?" the Puzzle asked and turned over on its side. A dish of candy appeared, and the Puzzle began to sort through it. The Puzzle gave a delighted cry at finding a caramel and quickly unwrapped it. It popped the candy into its mouth and sighed happily. Yami frowned.   
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Eating a caramel. Would you like one?"  
  
"No. I meant what are you doing? With all of this? Why are you doing this to me?"  
  
The Puzzle paused, chewing thoughtfully.  
  
"Was I unclear with my intentions? I had said earlier that I wanted to talk to you."  
  
"And I had said that I had nothing to say to you."  
  
The Puzzle gave him a pensive look.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
Yami growled and dropped, pinning the Puzzle in the sand.   
  
"No. No, you tell me what *you* want."  
  
"To talk to you," the Puzzle answered and disappeared, leaving Yami to fall on his stomach. When he stood again, he saw that the Puzzle had changed the area again, the beach now a vast highland plain. The Puzzle, again in the form of Yuugi, was sitting on a black leather sofa, placed on top of a small hill. Yami clenched his jaw and stalked up the hill, curling his hands into fists. The Puzzle leaned forwards, a deep mahoghany coffee table appearing before it so it could start spinning a coin.   
  
"I've had enough of this! You've dragged me here, and I demand to know why!"  
  
The Puzzle flattened its palm against the top of the coin, halting its movement. Sighing slightly, the Puzzle then stood and walked away, leaving the coin balanced on its edge. Yami resisted the urge to knock the coin over, and fell into step with the Puzzle.   
  
They walked to the bottom of the hill, a large weather beaten stone arch standing there alone. There was an inscription on it, and Yami could see it just enough to read it.   
  
I AM THE WAY INTO THE CITY OF WOE  
  
I AM THE WAY TO A FORSAKEN PEOPLE  
  
I AM THE WAY INTO ETERNAL SORROW  
  
SACRED JUSTICE MOVED MY ARCHITECT  
  
I WAS RAISED HERE BY DIVINE OMNIPOTENCE,  
  
PRIMORDIAL LOVE AND ULTIMATE INTELLECT  
  
ONLY THOSE ELEMENTS TIME CANNOT WEAR  
  
WERE MADE BEFORE ME, AND BEYOND TIME I STAND  
  
ABANDON ALL HOPE YE WHO ENTER HERE  
  
"Have a seat, Yami," the Puzzle said, gesturing with its right hand. Yami felt his knees get shoved out from under him, and he fell backwards into a large white lawn chair. The Puzzle settled down into a black recliner and crossed its ankles while folding its hands across its chest.   
  
"Do you remember what happened? After you died?"  
  
Yami opened his mouth to answer, but the Puzzle continued.   
  
"You must remember, above all else, that you were a mortal man. A very unique, powerful man with unusual gifts...but still a mortal man. When you died, you were judged. You were sentenced, just like all who had come before you. You travelled through Limbo, meeting the tests as you saw fit, but it wasn't enough. Your sins had already poisoned you, despite your efforts to seal the Shadow Games. You were to go to Hell. But I saved you, Yami. I saved you."  
  
"That doesn't give you the authority to--"  
  
"I wanted to talk to you because I've heard your thoughts. Your dreams of how to destroy me. You best quell those ideas immediately. I have more power than Heaven or Hell could ever dream of. Though, I was curious....what makes you think you are any different?"  
  
"We are connected--"  
  
"Exactly! We are connected. We had a deal. I would give you my strength in return for you. You may have my power, Yami, but I have your soul. Do you understand?"  
  
"You consider that special? To own a human soul?"   
  
"It's the greatest thing I could ever do. You cannot destroy me, Yami. Just as I cannot destroy you. We are equal. I can defend myself against you...so never try to hurt me again as you did earlier."  
  
"I. Hate you."  
  
The Puzzle recoiled slightly, shocked and hurt by the statement. Yami merely glowered at it, and it lowered its eyes, smiling sadly.   
  
"That's funny. Because I don't hate you."  
  
"I will not be your puppet!" Yami exclaimed, standing and pointing an accusing finger at the Puzzle. There was a deafening clap of thunder, and ominous dark clouds had begun to pile on top of each other at an alarming rate. The Puzzle also stood, a hard glint in its eyes.  
  
The Puzzle was angry.   
  
"AND I WILL NOT BE YOURS!!"  
  
The ground beneath Yami erupted, splitting into cavernous trenches. He fought to keep his balance, but he soon fell, thrown out of the depths of the Puzzle.  
  
~*~  
  
Yami was dropped unceremoniously back into his Soul Room, landing hard on the cold stone floors and gasping for air. He remained like that for several long moments before he registered a loud pounding on his door.  
  
Groaning, Yami picked himself up and limped over to the door. He opened it, and saw Yuugi standing there, his hand still raised.  
  
"Yami! Are you all right? I heard you calling and I--"  
  
Yuugi was cut off as Yami quickly pulled him into an impossibly tight hug.  
  
"Tell me you're real," Yami whispered into Yuugi's hair. "Tell me you're real."  
  
Yuugi frowned.  
  
"Yami...what's wrong? What happened?"  
  
Yami did not answer, but merely nuzzled against Yuugi's neck and gripped him tighter. Though the mental barriers had been drawn up, Yuugi could still sense the hestitation seeping down their bond. The former Pharaoh always felt somewhat uncomfortable in his Soul Room, though it reflected who he was, and disliked inquiries as to why. As well, Yami almost never told Yuugi if something was bothering him, for he never wanted his hikari to worry about him.  
  
Still, Yuugi could feel Yami shaking slightly, and he wanted to know what had stirred him up so badly.   
  
"Would you like to go for a walk, Yami? We could go get a shake, or something...." Yuugi offered gently, rubbing comforting circles on his yami's back.  
  
"Yes, let's do that," Yami agreed. He needed to get out of the Puzzle, even if for only a short while.   
  
Yami exited the Puzzle in a burst of light, creating a solid body of flesh and blood that would disappear the next he went back in. Yuugi blinked, stretching from his slumped position at his desk.   
  
"I'll leave a note for grandpa. Then we can go," he said and pulled on his shoes.  
  
~*~  
  
The two boys walked in silence, Yami striding confidently beside Yuugi. He had the same regal aura about him as he always did, but Yuugi could see the turmoil behind his eyes, and the preoccupation that made Yuugi the one responsible to steer Yami through the crowd.   
  
They stopped at Burger World and bought two chocolate shakes, a welcome relief from the summer heat. They decided to take their drinks to the park, where they could sit in the shade and still remain somewhat isolated from other people. Yuugi settled underneath a large maple tree and leaned back against the trunk. Yami sat across from him, only occasionally sipping his treat. Yuugi decided to let Yami brood some more while he watched harassed parents try to chase down their hyperactive children.   
  
After a while, Yuugi could take no more.   
  
"Yami, please tell me what's bothering you," he pleaded. "I don't like it when you're like this. Please, I might be able to help you."  
  
"You can't help."  
  
Yuugi flinched at the cold, pitiless words. Yami sighed, realizing the effects of his statement and set his shake aside to bury his face in his hands. Yuugi cradled the Puzzle in his hands and tilted his head minutely, as if listening to something far away. The subconscious brushes he was receiving from the artifact were so subtle he almost missed them, but he caught enough to understand.   
  
"I think...I think you hurt its feelings."  
  
It had been a bit of a joke, for Yuugi had thought that maybe the sensations he had been getting were the residue of Yami's emotions, but Yami apparently did not take it that way and gave a bitter laugh.   
  
"It doesn't have any feelings to hurt. It...you wouldn't understand."  
  
"Yami, please at least let me try to understand. I'm your partner. Share the burden, remember?" Yuugi tried again, leaning forward.  
  
Yami lifted his head, and Yuugi could see that his usually brilliant ruby eyes were laced with frustration and agitation.  
  
"You're right, Yuugi. I'll let you try.......I talked to the Puzzle."  
  
"What?" Yuugi asked, his eyes widened in obvious surprise. He looked down at the Puzzle around his neck. "It--it's alive?"  
  
"No," Yami answered quickly. "It's not alive. It's...aware. It can think, but--"   
  
Yami growled, frustrated with himself for not being able to think of the right words. The Puzzle was difficult to understand under the best of circumstances, but now he had to explain it to one who did not share his experience. Yuugi let him pause, giving him time to gather his thoughts.  
  
"Yuugi, do you remember when you read me 'The Time Machine'?"  
  
Yuugi nodded.  
  
"And do you recall, in the first chapter, when the Time Traveller had gathered his colleagues and told them that having only length, width, and depth that a cube could not exist? And of course his friends told him he was wrong...that a solid object *could* have existence. Do you remember?"  
  
Yuugi nodded again.  
  
"And then the Time Traveller had asked if an 'instantaneous' cube could exist. That if it doesn't last for any time at all, could it have a real existence? Can you follow that thought?"  
  
"Yes, I think so--"  
  
"Then before you continue with that, think of this: the opposite is true for the Puzzle. It obviously moves through Time, but it is missing a dimension. It exists, but...."  
  
Yuugi slowly lowered his drink in realization.  
  
"But it has no consciousness of its own," he whispered. "So it does the only thing a puzzle *can* do.....it mimics."  
  
"Right. It mimics. Like a jigsaw puzzle of a tree. It looks like a tree, but it isn't one. And though it has many different pieces, it's always the same."  
  
"Never evolving, never changing," Yuugi added.  
  
"Therefore not alive."  
  
"But aware."  
  
"It sees--"  
  
"And it copies it all....like the human mind. The human soul."  
  
"Exactly."  
  
Yuugi was about to continue when he noticed that Yami was looking at something out of the corner of his eye. Confused, Yuugi turned his head to see what had suddenly caught Yami's attention. There was a butterfly, suspended mid-flight above a flower. Yuugi jumped to his feet.  
  
"What--"  
  
Yami reached up and grabbed Yuugi's wrist to calm him down.  
  
"It's all right, Yuugi," he said and stood up, pulling Yuugi slightly behind him. Yuugi clutched instinctivily at Yami's sleeve, feeling his heart pound at the sight of birds frozen in the air, of splashes in the pond that never touched back down, and everything stuck in time.   
  
Yuugi started as he felt Yami tense up and release a soft, dangerous growl. Yuugi looked back up to see a replica of himself standing in front of them. It was an almost exact copy, save for the solid gray tatoo in the shape of an upside down triangle that covered half the replica's face. It was also dressed in a white robe similar to Shadi's, and had on a bracelet whose charms were miniatures of the Millennium Items.   
  
"I said stop it, Yami," the Puzzle said, its voice resonating with deep vibrations. Yami gritted his teeth as the Puzzle raised a hand, palm upwards, and curled its fingers.  
  
Yuugi cried out as he felt a sharp jerk in his navel and was pulled from Yami's grasp and into the Puzzle's arms. The Puzzle reached up and began to softly stroke Yuugi's hair, its eyes softening. Yami tried to reach for Yuugi, but he found his feet stuck to the ground.   
  
The Puzzle continued to pet Yuugi, its free hand rising up slowly and gathering a dark purple mist around it. Yami could only watch helplessly as the mist solidified into a large, curved hunting knife that the Puzzle pressed gently against Yuugi's throat. Yuugi had fallen into a trance, unaware of the danger he was in.   
  
"Was I wrong in my choice, Yami? Is this the wrong one?"  
  
"You will give him back to me. Now."   
  
"Or you'll what?"  
  
Countless possibilities ran through Yami's mind, but none found their way to his lips.  
  
"Give him. Back."  
  
"No."  
  
"God damn you! Give him back to me!!" Yami exploded, pulling so hard at the restraints on his legs that the bones began to creak.  
  
"Understand that I have nothing against Yuugi personally. In fact, he's nearly perfect...." the Puzzle trailed off, its voice thick with admiration. It pressed the knife a little harder, drawing a thin river of blood. Yami roared and tried to attack, nearly snapping his leg in half.   
  
Once again, strands of invisible restraints snaked their way up Yami's body, forcing his arms to stretch out from his sides, his feet a shoulder's breadth apart and making him almost completely immobilized.   
  
"You said once, Yami, that Exodia's one weakness was that it came in parts. That you have to assemble ALL of the pieces before you can become gifted with it's power. You and I are no different. So what do you think will happen, if I take away just one piece..."  
  
The Puzzle raised its arm, ready to kill Yuugi in a single blow.  
  
"NO!!"  
  
The Puzzle froze, glancing up at the once proud pharaoh. Yami's eyes were glistening with tears he was fighting to control, and his shoulders were shaking.  
  
Yami was standing oddly, as though partially kneeling against an invisible foot stool, his head bowed in obvious surrender.   
  
The Puzzle regarded Yami with its expressionless eyes before smiling softly and slowly lowering its hand. It gently picked Yuugi up and walked over to Yami. The restraints were released and Yami immediately grabbed the unconscious Yuugi out of the Puzzle's arms. He fell all the way to his knees, giving a few raw sobs into his hikari's hair.  
  
"Good. Now keep those demons under control, Yami, and I swear that I shall let no harm come to him. To either of you," the Puzzle said.   
  
Yami glanced up at the Puzzle, his grip tightening around Yuugi, and nodded once. The Puzzle smiled softly and, giving a final pet to Yami's hair, faded from sight.   
  
Yuugi stirred in Yami's arms, and in turn Time resumed its normal course. He blinked, taking a moment to register that Yami was crying. He reached up and cupped Yami's cheek in his hand. Leaning into the touch, Yami clutched Yuugi even tighter.   
  
"Yami, are you all right?"  
  
Yami gritted his teeth and closed his eyes to direct his attention inwards.   
  
//Beware, Puzzle. Someday I shall find a way to destroy you.//  
  
:Yes, I know. And I'm rather looking forward to it.:  
  
*~*  
  
FINE  
  
Author's Note:  
  
Nsw = ancient egyptian for "king"  
  
S-spd = ancient egyptian for "ready"  
  
Senatus Populusque Romanus ~ the ancient motto of Rome. It is latin for "The Senate and the Roman People."  
  
I AM THE WAY INTO THE CITY OF WOE  
  
I AM THE WAY TO A FORSAKEN PEOPLE  
  
........  
  
ABANDON ALL HOPE YE WHO ENTER HERE  
  
~From "The Inferno" by Dante Alighieri; Canto III, Lines 1-9 


End file.
